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What Is A Money Line Bet and how to place it? | LeoVegas

What Is a Moneyline Bet

A money line bet in sports is when you back a team or athlete to win their event.

Often, there are only two or three possible outcomes in this market. In an NFL game, you can choose that either one team or the other will win. Meanwhile, in a Premier League soccer game, the options will be team A to win, team B to win, or a draw.

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When you bet on the moneyline at LeoVegas, you don't need to worry about a team or athlete winning by a certain amount of points as in a point spread bet. You're simply betting on them to win by any means, whether that's in the allocated time or overtime.

How Does the Money Line Bet Work?

In a moneyline bet, you'll see the odds on offer for the possible outcomes in that match or event. These will depend on various factors, such as form, home advantage, position in the standings, injuries and suspensions.

Money line betting is popular in the NBA where sports bettors have games to bet on throughout the season. If the Golden State Warriors are at home to the Houston Rockets, for example, they are likely to be the favourites in the money line. If you were to place $100 on the Golden State Warriors, you would need them to win the match in normal time or overtime. At previously-seen odds of -500, your total return would be $120 ($20 profit).

In this example, the Rockets are the underdogs on the money line. Not only are they playing on the road, but they're up against a team who are rated more highly than them. In this situation, their odds could be around +300. So, if you decide to take a chance on them to win the match and they succeed, you would pick up a return of $400 from a $100 bet ($300 profit).

You may also hear the term 'pick ‘em' to describe a money line bet. This is where the odds for both results are the same. As the name indicates, you'd take your pick based on your own opinion rather than the implications of the odds.

There are two types of odds on offer on the money line: positive and negative. If your selection has positive odds, it means the profit you'd collect would be greater than the amount you stake. Some people refer to this as 'odds against'. On the other hand, if the odds are negative, your potential profit would be less than your stake. You may see this also referred to as 'odds-on'. Negative odds tend to be given to the favourites on the money line.

What are the Outcomes of a Money Line Bet?

There are three possible outcomes on a money line bet. You can either win, lose, or on some occasions, you can draw or push. If you do draw, you'll receive your stake back. In most cases, you'll only be able to win or lose.

To win your money line bet, your player or team must achieve a win. This can be within the allocated time, or in some sports, overtime will be used to force a winner. Your returns are calculated based on the odds you took and the stake you set.

Unfortunately, if the player or team you back loses, your money line bet will be a loser and you won't pick up a return.

For your bet to be a draw or push, the teams or individuals must finish in a tie. Unless the odds were available for a tie on the money line, you'll receive your stake back, as this is a no bet.

Which Sports Use Money Line?

A money line bet is the most popular market in sports betting, and you can find it on many of the sports we offer betting on, such as:

On a busy Sunday in the NFL when all 32 teams are in action on the field, there will be 16 matches that we offer money line odds on. You can choose which of the games you want to bet on based on the odds available, or if you support a certain team more than others.

In sports such as tennis, money line markets are popular during the four Grand Slam events of the year: the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open. We will offer money line odds on all matches in the men’s and women’s singles competitions, from the opening round to the finals.

How to Place a Money Line Bet?

It's easy to place a moneyline bet at LeoVegas. First, find the market you want to bet on. All the sports are listed on the left side of our sports betting page. These include the most popular sports such as baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and soccer.

Once you've settled on your selection, add it to your bet slip by clicking on the odds. Decide whether you'll place a single, or add more selections to create a parlay. Then, type your stake and your potential returns will be calculated for you. Finally, click 'place bet' and we'll send you a message to confirm that your bet's been placed.

Moneyline sports betting FAQ

Can You Put Moneyline Bets in Parlays?

Yes. Add moneyline selections into a parlay bet for their odds to be combined. This may increase your potential return, especially in leagues like the NBA where the moneyline odds on the favourites can be short. If you choose to bet on a parlay, all your selections need to be successful for it to prevail.

Can You Put Money and Spread Bets Together in Parlays?

Yes, moneyline wagers and spread bets can be combined to make a parlay. It's up to you how you make up your bet, but you can't add a money line and spread selection on the same game, as this would be a related bet. For your parlay to win, all money line and spread selections must be successful.

What's the Difference Between Money Line and Spread Bets?

In a money line bet, you're betting on the outcome of a match. You'll either back team/player A or team/player B to win, no matter the score. Meanwhile in spread betting, one of the two teams will have a handicap, which means that for your selection to win, they may need to achieve a certain score. If you back the underdog in a spread market, they may not even need to win their contest, as their handicap amount may be enough to cover an opposing team's poor performance.

Are Money Line Bets Good Bets?

Money line bets are considered good by many sports bettors because they are the simplest form of betting on a game or event. You know exactly what you need to happen for your bet to be successful.

This is the market where you might have a strong opinion on the outcome, as you may feel one of the teams or players has a better chance of winning than the other.

In many cases, you also have overtime in your favor for your selection to come out on top.

What is a Moneyline 3 Way Bet?

A money line 3-way bet is where there are three possible outcomes in your market. Your list of options will be team/player A, team/individual B, or the draw.

Odds will be available on all three of these scenarios. Unlike a 2-way bet, there will be no push if the game finishes in a tie.

What Happens to Money Line Bet in a Tie?

This depends on whether the money line bet you are placing has two or three selections. If you bet on a market where there are only two selections, a tie will result in you getting your stake back. This is known as a push because there wasn't originally an option for betting on a draw.

In other markets, particularly on soccer matches, you can bet on the draw on the money line. In this case, your bet will be a winner if the two teams draw by the end of the match and overtime.

What Does +/- Mean in Moneyline Betting?

The positive and negative numbers you see in money line betting relate to the odds on the selection. If the odds are +, then it means the profit you make will be of a greater value to your stake, as the selections tend to be the underdog. However, if you see a minus sign, the profit will be less than your stake as you will be betting on the favourite, which is likely to have a greater chance of winning.

Learn more about sports betting in our guides